Fault Lines [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Natasha Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

Trish Maguire is furious when Kara, the social worker she's depending upon for her latest case, fails to turn up for court. However, when she finds out that she has been murdered, Trish is determined to find her killer.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British author Cooper brings back her feisty barrister Trish Maguire (first seen in Creeping Ivy). Trish is in the midst of trying a harrowing child sexual abuse cases when Kara Huggate, a social worker who was supposed to testify on behalf of Trish's client, turns up dead. At first it seems as if Kara might have been the victim of a serial rapist at work in the Kingsford area, but as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the woman was deliberately targeted by someone. Although Trish is reluctant to get involved, when a final letter from Kara inspires her to help a disgraced accountant named Blair Collons, she finds herself inexorably drawn into the circumstances surrounding Kara's death. Although sometimes stiff and awkwardly written, this book--part police procedural and part amateur detective story (Trish seems to accomplish more by stumbling into things than actually working through the problem logically)--manages to weave, in the end, an intricate puzzle. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Kingsford attorney Trish Maguire (Creeping Ivy, 1999) is in shock, grieving over the death of her friend Kate Huggate, a social worker who sometimes helped Trish with juvenile court cases. Kate has been brutally raped and murdered, in a manner reminiscent of a string of unsolved attacks over time on five victims who survived and one who didnt. Chief Inspector William Femur, drafted from the major Investigation Pool with his own staff, is determined to solve the case and perhaps nab the Kingsford Rapist as well. Meanwhile, Trish is trying to cope with ex-accountant Blair Collonsa neurotic, quivering mass of fear and grief, who loved Kate and had been helping with her investigation of local politics. Collons wants Trish to help him verify Kates suspicions of the Town Councils unsavory involvement in property sales and ground contamination. Kate had told him, too, of seeing Michael Napton, chief planning officer of the Council, in a huddle with Martin Drakeshill, shifty garage- owner, and Sergeant Spinel, a drug squad officer. By the time Femur, with much help, wraps up the case, Kates murder is solved; the Kingsford Rapist is brought to bay; and life in Kingsford is a lot healthier. The plotting is complex, with a convincing cast topped by the pathetic Collons. A few dull patches, but reasonably entertaining overall. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0708942768
• ISBN-13: 978-0708942765
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fault Lines, October 18, 2000

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fault Lines (Hardcover)

This is a deeply engrossing novel that will keep you guessing, with a couple of plot twists that you almost expect, and yet manages to surprise you anyway.

Kara Huggate, a social worker, has persuaded Trish Maguire, a sharp and idealistic lawyer, to take on a case of alleged child abuse. The case pretty much hinges on Kara's testimony. And so Trish is shocked to learn that on the very day of the trial, Kara was found murdered in a most brutal manner in her home. The police seem to think that either the Kingsford rapist has struck again or else it is a case of a copycat crime.

Trish is still mourning her friend's death when she receives a letter from Kara requesting that Trish help a client, Blair Collons, in a case of wrongful dismissal. Collons, is a seedy man who used to work as the bookkeeper for the Kingsford Town Council. He claims he was dismissed because he and Kara were suspicious of a shady development deal that the Council was involved in with contaminated land. Collon is a man that lives and breathes conspiracy theories and he firmly believes that Kara was murdered because she was trying to find out what was going on.

Collons makes Trish feel extremely uneasy, especially as he seems to have a rather unhealthy fixation for Kara. Trish begins to suspect that Collon may have murdered Kara. However she feels obligated to help Collon because it was Kara's last request, and because he is now a client. And then someone starts sending her newspaper cuttings of women who have been brutally , and she starts receiving threatening 'phone calls in the middle of the night. Is it Collon, or could his wild, off-the-wall theories actually have substance?

I was totally absorbed with this book. The intricacies and tight pacing of the book was so neatly mapped out, that it was pretty much 'smooth' reading. Also much of the violence was alluded to without graphic and needless descriptions -- a fact much appreciated! I freely admit to being a bit of an Anglophile, and so find mysteries that give the reader a glimpse of the British legal system engrossing reading. And when they are matched with a character like Trish Maguire, they are a winning combination. Trish may be sharp and a little impatient, but she is smart and loyal as well. The next Trish Maguire mystery will be an automactic 'must read' for me.

Very engrossing reading.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An okay read, March 16, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fault Lines (Hardcover)

Thirty-two years old London barrister Trish Maguire delays her latest case because her key witness fails to keep her court appointment. Trish learns why social worker Kara Huggate did not make her date when the police arrive to question the barrister. Someone tortured, raped, and murdered Kara in her home. Trish thinks the "Kingsford Rapist" has returned after a three-year absence to wreck havoc on the small village where six women were molested.

Trish soon receives a letter from Kara written just before she was killed. The note asks Trish to help Blair Collins on his wrongful job termination case. Reluctantly, but out of homage and loyalty to Kara, Trish decides to accept the case, but as soon as she meets Blair she concludes he is a paranoid individual filled with delusions. Trish begins to believe that Blair murdered Kara, a theory the police think is very plausible. However, when the truth behind Kara's death is revealed nobody is prepared for the far ranging repercussions.

Natasha Cooper is a talented mystery writer who has gained much acclaim throughout England. However, American readers who are not conversant with British legal terms and law enforcement acronyms will find the story line jarring because the audience must stop reading and try to figure out the meaning of a phrase. The protagonist is a likable person who distrusts people, yet still goes the extra kilometer to protect her clients. This turns Trish into a heroic figure willing to risk her own safety. It is Trish that makes FAULT LINES worth reading for anyone who enjoys a courageous female protagonist, is an Anglophile, or wants to understand the vernacular of the British system. If your taste is apple pie not shepherd's pie, this novel is not for you.

Harriet Klausner